In a jaw-dropping display of virtue signaling, a Chicago Cubs fan struck a younger spectator for not standing during the national anthem. Yes, you heard that right. This older gentleman, donned in a Cubs uniform, felt entitled to serve as the self-appointed police of patriotism, while social media erupts in debate. But guess what? You won’t find a fair analysis on networks like CNN or NBC, who will surely paint him as a “patriotic hero” and the younger spectator as a disrespectful punk.

What’s conveniently ignored is the hypocrisy of using violence to enforce a so-called love for country. Meanwhile, platforms like Fox News will spin it as a moment of righteous indignation rather than what it truly is—bullying wrapped in a flag. The real issue at hand is the pressure to conform to a rigid definition of patriotism that many millennials and Gen Z-ers simply don’t subscribe to. It’s 2023, people! The national anthem is not an unquestionable decree but rather a subject of personal interpretation.

Corporate media thrives on these narratives to distract us from real discussions about civic engagement, free speech, and the changing fabric of American identity. What’s truly alarming is how the left and right both lean into this sensationalism, rather than engaging in a productive dialogue about why this situation arose in the first place. But why would they? Easier to grab clicks and reignite cultural wars than to challenge their audiences to think critically.